Dr. Steven Bolkan, Director of Research for Church & Dwight Co. Inc., will be presenting during the Successful Marketing across the Supply Chain session and will specifically present Know Thy Product/Brand on the second day of the 10th annual Cleaning Products US conference.

Smithers Apex recently spoke with Dr. Steven Bolkan on his thoughts on the recent FDA Rule and it's impact on the antibacterial soap industry, the best innovations and why the Cleaning Products conference is so important to the industry.

Smithers Apex: Why is the Cleaning Products Conference so important to the industry?

Dr. Steven Bolkan: The cleaning products industries have always experienced a very rapidly changing environment driven by Innovation, new technologies, acquisitions and divestitures, regulatory controls for safety and the environment, and the ever changing dynamics of the consumer. As such, The Cleaning Products Conference is an important forum for leaders in the industry to keep up on business, marketing and R&D advancements.

Smithers Apex:What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the cleaning industry, right now? What does the most recent FDA Rule mean for the antibacterial soap industry?

Dr. Steven Bolkan: The industry must face oncoming challenges and evolve their businesses and products to not only reflect new consumer behaviors and trends but to also satisfy new regulatory hurdles. The recent FDA Rule on antibacterial soaps is going to stimulate innovation for those companies that may be affected - and innovation is always a good thing.

Smithers Apex:What are some of the best innovations in cleaning, right now?

Dr. Steven Bolkan: Unit dose multi-chamber laundry packs are still the leading innovation for the laundry products industry. Besides this, there is a lot of biological enzyme development work going on and I am sure we will continue to see incremental advancements in the marketplace.

Smithers Apex:What are you most looking forward to hearing at the conference, this fall, in Washington, D.C.?

Dr. Steven Bolkan: I always look forward to the conference to meet others as passionate as I am about creating new products but this year I am very interested in our first session on Megatrends within the Cleaning Products Industry.